The morning-after pill is an emergency method of contraception, which is used only when the usual birth control method fails or is forgotten. It may be composed of levonorgestrel or ulipristal acetate, which act by delaying or inhibiting ovulation.
Pills containing levonorgestrel can be used up to 3 days after intimate contact and pills containing ulipristal acetate can be used up to 5 days after unprotected sex; However, their effectiveness decreases with the days and are therefore taken as soon as possible. They can be purchased from pharmacies and the price can vary between 7 and 36 reais, depending on the active substance used.
- The morning-after pill acts by inhibiting or delaying ovulation.
- Making it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus and possibly mature the egg.
- In addition.
- You can change hormone levels after ovulation.
- But what happens? it can also act in other ways.
Oral contraception emerges has no effect once implantation is completed, it does not interrupt an ongoing pregnancy, so the morning-after pill does not cause abortion.
The morning-after pill should be used in emergencies, provided there is a risk of unwanted pregnancy, and may be taken in situations such as:
To avoid pregnancy, the morning-after pill should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected intimate contact or regularly used contraceptive failure.
This pill can be taken any day of the menstrual cycle and can be taken with water or food. Each box contains only 1 or 2 single-use tablets.
After use, the woman may experience headaches, nausea and fatigue and after a few days may also notice symptoms such as:
These symptoms are related to the side effects of medication and it is normal that menstruation is unregulated for a while. Ideally, observe these changes and, if possible, record the characteristics of menstruation in your journal or mobile phone, so that you can show them to the gynecologist during a consultation. Learn more about the side effects of the morning-after pill.
There may be a lot of doubt about the morning-after pill. Some of the most common are:
1. Can I get pregnant even if I take the morning-after pill?
Although indicated to prevent unwanted pregnancies, the morning after pill is not 100% effective if taken after 72 hours of sex. But when taken the same day, it is unlikely that the woman will become pregnant, however, there is this possibility.
It’s best to wait a few days until the rule arrives, and if you’re late you can take a pregnancy test that you can buy at the pharmacy. See what your chances of getting pregnant are by doing this test online:
2. Does the morning-after pill delay menstruation?
One of the side effects of the morning-after pill is the change in menstruation. So, after taking the pills, can menstruation? pass up? 10 days before or after the scheduled date, but in most cases, menstruation occurs on the expected date with a variation of approximately 3 days or less. However, if the delay persists, a pregnancy test should be performed.
3. Is the morning after pill lost? How does it work?
The morning-after pill is not interrupted because it can act in different ways, depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle in which it is used, and may:
Thus, if ovulation has already occurred or if the egg has already been fertilized, the pill does not prevent the development of pregnancy.
4. How many times can I use it?
This pill should only be used sporadically as it has a very high dose of hormones. Also, if a woman takes the pill the day after more than once a month, it may lose its effect. Therefore, this medicine is only indicated for emergencies and not as a common method of contraception. Find out which pregnancy prevention method is best for you by clicking here.
5. Is the morning-after pill bad?
This pill is harmful only if used more than twice in the same month, which increases the risk of diseases such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, problems during a future pregnancy and can also increase the risk of thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, for example. Example.
6. Does the morning-after pill cause infertility?
There is no scientific evidence that sporadic use of this pill may cause infertility, fetal malformations or ectopic pregnancy.
7. Does the morning-after pill change the way birth control works?
No, that is why the contraceptive pill should continue to be taken regularly, at the usual time, until the end of the package. Once the package is complete, you should wait until your period falls and if your period does not fall, you should consult your gynecologist.
8. Is the morning-after pill effective during the fertile period?
The morning-after pill takes effect every day of the month, however, this effect may decrease during the fertile period, especially if ovulation already occurred before taking the pill.
In fact, the morning-after pill acts by inhibiting or delaying ovulation and, if it has already occurred, the pill will no longer have this effect. However, the morning-after pill also makes it difficult for the egg and sperm to pass through the fallopian tubes and makes it difficult for sperm to enter cervical mucus and, in some cases, prevents pregnancy through this mechanism.
9. Does the morning-after pill take effect if you have unprotected sex after taking it?
Não. A pílula do dia seguinte não é um método contraceptivo e apenas deve ser tomada em situações de emergência. Caso a pessoa já tenha tomado uma pílula do dia seguinte, como método de emergência, e no dia a seguir à toma tiver relações sexuais desprotegidas, existe o risco de engravidar.
Ideally, the woman should talk to her gynecologist and start taking a contraceptive.
Watch the video below and learn how to calculate the fertile period
Therefore, the morning after pill is only effective if ovulation has not yet occurred during the first days of the fertile period. If fertilization has already taken place, if there is intimate contact, it is very likely that a pregnancy will occur.
The morning-after pill can be purchased from pharmacies and also online, without a prescription. Some trade names are Diad, Pilem and Postinor Uno. The pill that can be used up to 5 days after unprotected sex is Ellaone.
However, although it can be purchased without a prescription, this medicine should only be used on medical advice.